Ballpark Review: Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park, home to the Cincinnati Reds (Photo: 408)
On a sunny day in late May, I traveled to Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds as they took on the New York Yankees. I’ve been to Great American Ball Park (GABP) a handful of times, and each time the experience has been great.
GABP opened March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly known as Riverfront Stadium), that was home to the Reds from 1970 to 2002. Great American Insurance, which is a Cincinnati-based firm, purchased the inaugural naming rights, which run through 2033.
Some of GABP’s “firsts” include:
First hit: Ken Griffey Jr. (Double)
First home run: Reggie Sanders (Pirates)
First Reds home run: Austin Kearns
Ceremonial first pitch: Former President George H.W. Bush
One awesome thing we experienced at GABP is the parking. There are tons of parking garages in downtown, which gives fans a little bit of a walk to the ball park, but we found a new lot that was recently built. Just outside of Paycor Stadium, home to the Cincinnati Bengals, and off of Pete Rose Way, a new garage extends almost all the way to GABP. We drove as far as we could, “guesstimated” and sure enough we came up the elevator right outside of the ball park. It cost us $20 to park, which was cheaper than some of the other lots we saw ($30-$40).
The main entrance to GABP is directly behind home plate, and as you approach it, you’ll see many cool amenities. The first thing we noticed were all of the statues of former Reds’ greats, including Johnny Bench and Tony Perez. The Reds have their own Hall of Fame just outside of the entrance, as well. The exhibit they had on display when we visited was “Women in Baseball,” and it highlighted many of the great women who played professionally, and those who have had an impact on the game. Unfortunately, I was told “no pictures allowed,” but we were able to see many great Reds artifacts, such as the bat Pete Rose used to collect his record breaking 4,192 career hit, as well as displays of the Reds’ uniforms during their history.
My son Jayce, standing next to the great Tony Perez’ statue outside of Great American Ball Park. (Photo: 408)
Also near the entrance was a team store, that had a plethora of apparel for fans of all ages. Jayce asked “will they have any Yankees stuff?” I had to break the news to him that they wouldn’t, so he settled for a pack of baseball cards, a Reds/Yankees lapel pin, and a baseball with all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams on it. This was the series the Reds unveiled their Nike City Connect jerseys, which was the “hot item” for Reds fans all around.
As you enter GABP, you’ll notice right away that you don’t have to walk far to see the field. In most ball parks, it takes a while to get inside, walk through the breezeway, grab a hot dog, and find your seats. Not at GABP! It was 150-200 feet max as you enter, to get a great view of the ball park - A nice touch by the Reds.
The breakdown on the dimensions at GABP goes:
Left-field distance: 328 feet
Centerfield distance: 404 feet
Right-field distance: 325 feet
As of June 12, GABP is extremely friendly to hitters. According to Baseball Savant, GABP ranks include:
Ballpark Factor (run favorability) - 9th
Triples (25% above average) - 9th
Home runs (8% above average) - 11th
A view from our seats for the May 21 game between the Reds and Yankees. (Photo: 408)
The gaps at GABP in the outfield are deep, as its 379 feet to left-center, and 370 to right-center. Batters are surely to get extra bases on balls hit there. The Reds are 5th in all of MLB in doubles (122) and are 3rd in tripes (14). This is through 35 home games.
Batted balls definitely carry at GABP, as we saw two “rocket” home runs off the bats of Harrison Bader and Gleyber Torres.
GABP has two scoreboards, with the main one in left field. I believe they’ve expanded the size and video board since its inception, and one cool thing I liked was a “spray chart” for every hitter that came to bat. Their first at-bat showed their chart for the season, and their next at-bat showed what the batter did in their previous trip(s) to the plate. In all my years of going to MLB games, I believe that was the first time I’ve ever seen that at a game. And that’s saying something with the amount of games I’ve been to!
A view of the main scoreboard in left field at GABP (top), as well as the “spray chart” players had when they came to bat (bottom). (Photo: 408).
When players would come to bat, I noticed the stats that were listed were kind of random. It listed hits/at-bats, RBI’s, and stolen bases, but for some reason didn’t list the most common stat - batting average. I had to open the calculator app on my phone to see what Anthony Rizzo was hitting at one point during the game. I also didn’t see many advanced stats either, which I understand something the casual fan wouldn’t know, but it would have been nice to see things like OPS and Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP).
Like any MLB stadium, there is always a “personal touch” to each park. At GABP, it’s their “powerstacks” and riverboat that sit behind the right-centerfield fence. The stacks shoot fireworks and even fire when the Reds hit a home run or display defensive greatness. Each stack has features seven baseball bats at the top which honors Pete Rose who wore #14. The replica riverboat pays homage to those that were quite common on the Ohio River during the 19th and 20th centuries. We even saw one make its way through the river during the game.
The smokestacks and river boat in centerfield at GABP. (Photo: 408)
Between the smoke stacks at the bottom lies the home run deck with a “Hit Me” sign. Any player who hits the sign allows a fan in attendance to win a new Toyota Tundra truck that is up on risers just behind the riverboat. The promotion has been occurring for 16 years and has only seen one winner. In 2018, former Reds outfielder, and current Milwaukee Brewer Jesse Winker came within three inches of the sign. Because of the closeness, and since nobody had ever come that close, the Reds awarded the truck to a lucky fan the day after the game in June 2018.
I am a sucker for history, especially when it comes to baseball, and GABP does a great job promoting the Reds’. Just outside of the main entrance, there is a statue of a young baseball player looking up to a batter, pitcher, and fielder with the Cincinnati skyline behind it. After doing some research, I discovered its called “The Spirit of Baseball.” There were lots of fans taking pictures of it prior to the game, and even after the game too. Also outside of the main entrance is the Reds “nod” to Crosley Field, which was their home from 1912 to 1970. Statues of Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson are depicted playing baseball.
When you leave GABP, make sure to check out the 4,192 mural, in honor of Pete Rose, on the back of the left field scoreboard. The three piece mural showcases the bat Rose used to become baseball’s all-time hits leader.
One of the most eye-catching pieces of Reds history is just inside the main gates, as you’ll see two huge mosaic paintings. The first honors the Reds first roster, which was the first ever professional baseball team, and the other is of “The Big Red Machine” of the dominant Reds’ teams in the 1970’s.
Fans congregating near the two mosaic paintings just inside the main gate of GABP. (Photo: 408)
While I would have loved to walk around and check out all of the food options available at GABP, time didn’t permit. When we arrived, we got “typical” ball park food: Hot dogs, popcorn, and peanuts. And later, Jayce talked me into something else (see picture below).
The partnership is strong between local restaurants and the Reds, as many local options were available throughout the ball park. First and foremost: Skyline Chili. I will admit I am not a big fan of Skyline, but for those of you who are its available in sections 103, 116, and 130 in the lower bowl, and 518 and 533 in the upper deck. Another staple throughout the park is LaRosa’s pizza. I will admit once again - I’ve never had it, but when Jayce and I go back in late June, I definitely will. It is located in 113 and 133 in the lower bowl, and 519 and 523 in the upper deck. Shout out to the fan who sat near us who put Skyline Chili on his piece of LaRosa’s Pizza. He said it was fantastic.
The only “luxury” food item we had during the game - Nachos in a Reds batting helmet. (Photo: 408)
Other Cincinnati “flavors” at GABP include Montgomery Inn (113, 117, 130, 138, and 516), and Graeters Ice Cream (119, 531).
GABP has plenty of featured food items as well throughout the ball park. Some of those items include:
The Big Cheese: All-beef burger topped with pimento cheese, bacon, crispy onions, and pickles, served on a pretzel bun. (Section 415)
The Split Finger: Grilled, split Giler’s bratwurt topped with sauerkraut, bistro sauce, and mustard, served on an Italian toasted roll (Section 415)
Redlegs Soft Serve: Vanilla ice cream with fruit punch Kool-Aid flavoring, with a choice of toppings, served in a miniature Cincinnati Reds helmet (Scouts Alley)
The beer options are also plentiful at GABP. Besides the name brands, local options include Mad Tree Brewery (Reds Brewery District - 118), Moerlein Brewery (104, 118, 133, 515, and the Scouts club), and Rhinegeist (Reds Brewery District - 118).
A new area for fans to enjoy prior to and during the game is the TriHealth Family Zone, which is located down the first base line as you enter the ball park. The area features a playground for kids, batting cages, and a lounge area that serves snacks for kids and drinks for parents. Also located in this inclusive area is a nursing station, sensory room, and a reading room. We checked it out prior to the game and it was pretty cool. The playground was huge, and there were plenty of batting cages for fans as well as a waffle ball field too.
Starting in 2023, online sports gambling became legal in Ohio. GABP installed a BetMGM Sportsbook within Wings and Rings Machine Room, just beyond the left field bleachers. The area features 15 self-service kiosks for fans to make bets, and it’s open seven days a week. There was also a lot of signage and promotion throughout GABP about the Sportsbook, even a promotion on the field and scoreboard. Any time it was promoted on the scoreboard, it always featured information on responsible gambling, as well.
Since its inception, the Reds (unfortunately) have seen more struggles than success. They’ve won their division only twice since calling GABP home, and hosted two playoff series, both of which they lost (2010 and 2012).
This was my fifth game at GABP, and each time its been a great one. I attended two during GABP’s first season, one in which featured a benches clearing brawl between the Reds and the Phillies.
Whether you’ve been there for GABP’s first Grand Slam by Russell Branyan (2003), its first playoff game (Game 3 NLDS - 2010), Aroldis Chapman’s 106 mph fastball (2010), Jay Bruce’s division clinching home run (2010), Brandon Phillips’ 1,000th career hit (2011), Homer Bailey’s no-hitter, the first at GABP (2013), or attended the 86th MLB All-Star game (2015), I’m sure your games have been just as great as mine.
You can’t go wrong with a ball game at GABP. It’s affordable, fun, and a great family experience for all.
Photo: 408
